


It's The Chance Of A Lifetime (In A Lifetime Of Chance)

by DialedIn



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dude ranch, Fluff, Gen, Horses, other characters play minor roles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29178612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DialedIn/pseuds/DialedIn
Summary: Emori gets in trouble with the law, and is given the choice of jail or time working at a dude ranch. She's never even touched a horse before, but anything beats jail, right? And what happens when ranch life might just be the best things that's ever happened to her?
Relationships: Emori/Gustus
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7
Collections: TROPED Choice: Western!





	It's The Chance Of A Lifetime (In A Lifetime Of Chance)

**Author's Note:**

> This was such a fun story to write, and I hope everyone enjoys it!
> 
> The theme I chose was modern Western  
> And my tropes are as follows:  
> 1\. Horse Girl Story (this was the Western trope)  
> 2\. Character races to catch their love interest before they leave  
> 3\. One character teaches the other how to do something  
> 4\. One character cautiously says, "I'm going to kiss you now, okay?"

  
  


Emori cursed under her breath and blew a strand of hair away from her face as she watched the bleak landscape pass. She had been riding in the back of the probation officer’s car for almost an hour, and it had passed boring several empty fields ago. She had initially been relieved when the judge had sentenced her to community service at a dude ranch instead of jail time, but she was starting to regret that relief the further they drove from the city. But then she remembered that prison meant no privacy or freedom, and decided that maybe a dude ranch wasn’t such a bad idea after all. At least she wouldn’t be chained up, and there was nothing Emori hated more than feeling like she was closed in.

The ride to the ranch was overwhelming if she had to be honest with herself. The sky was too big, the land too vast, and the space too desolate. There weren’t any gas stations or restaurants, or even houses really, as they drove further and further from any trace of civilization. 

When the car finally came to a stop in front of a massive log house, Emori was impressed by the impressive cloud of dust that erupted from beneath the car’s tires.

“Here we are,” the officer said in a bored voice, “Polis Dude Ranch.”

“Weird name,” Emori remarked, and picked at the hem on her jacket. It was her favorite, a safety net because the sleeves were long enough to mostly conceal her left hand with its partially webbed fingers. The official title was incomplete syndactyly, but really it just meant that her ring and middle finger were conjoined halfway up. It didn’t affect anything in her life, except the way people looked at her, which honestly was more than enough. 

“This is your best chance to avoid jail time,” the officer said, almost kindly, “it would be smart to not mess it up.”

Emori scowled but didn’t say anything. She definitely wanted to avoid jail but also didn’t want to admit anything to this random person of the law.

“Come on, let’s meet the owner and get yourself sorted out.”

Emori sighed but scooted over and opened the car door.

When Emori stepped out of the car she took a breath and coughed violently, “Oh shit! It smells terrible!”

The guard laughed, not unkindly, “Welcome to the country.”

“The country stinks.”

Suddenly the door to the house opened and a tall muscular man who looked like he could bench press an entire cow stepped out onto the porch. He was older than her by at least a decade and had a smattering of stubble across his face. The expression on his face was kind, even though he looked imposing. He wore a blue and white checkered flannel button down shirt, dark blue jeans (complete with an ornate buckle), cowboy boots, and a massive white cowboy hat. 

“Hello!” The man called out in a loud but oddly gentle voice, “Welcome to Polis Dude Ranch, I’m Gustus and I own and operate the ranch. I’m glad you could be here to help us, we are getting into the busiest part of the tourist season.”

Emori raised a hand slightly, not sure what to say and afraid of what might come out of her mouth if she tried.

Gustus turned to the officer who had driven her then and said, “Thanks for bringing her by. Can I get you anything to drink before you go?”

The officer waved him off, “No, thank you. I’ve got to get going.”

Gustus laughed, “Another time perhaps, thanks again for coming out. Have a safe drive back.”

The officer nodded and tipped his hat at Gustus before getting in his car and driving away in a cloud of dust.

Emori watched the exchange quietly, feeling a surge of nervousness. After the car had disappeared through the gates, Gustus turned to Emori, “As I said before, I am Gustus, and I’m happy to have you here on the ranch for the next three months. I know this isn’t necessarily what you had in mind, but I hope you make the most of your time here.”

Emori continued to stare at the older man, still completely unsure of what to say.

“Anyway, I’m going to have one of my employees show you to where you will be staying. I’ll check in later with you, once you’re settled, and we will go over some rules and expectations for your stay with us.” Gustus then motioned to a woman who was waiting nearby.

“Hi, I’m Echo,” the woman said, her voice stern but not unkind, “Grab your things and follow me.”

Emori picked up her worn duffle bag and slung it over her shoulder. She didn’t have a lot of belongings to begin with, so her bag was reasonably light. She followed Echo and looked back to see Gustus still standing in front of the main building. 

Echo led Emori to another wooden building, this one narrow and elongated. At the main door, Echo stopped and motioned to the building, “This is the staff bunkhouse.”

Echo opened the door and stood back to allow Emori to enter. Emori gasped when she walked into the building and took everything in. There was a large living room with a flat screen TV and a massive fireplace, and against the back wall was a kitchenette complete with a small table and chairs. To the right of the kitchen area was a hallway. 

“As I said, this is the staff bunkhouse,” Echo explained as she stood in the middle of the living room, “there are six rooms in this particular house, two beds to a room. And this is obviously a women’s bunk. Men sleep in a different building, and while we are officially discouraged from visiting each other’s bunks it happens all the time.”

Emori let out a dry laugh, “Not to me, it won’t. I have zero interest in any of that.”

Echo fixed her with a curious look, “well even so, that’s the way it goes. So we all sleep two to a room here. There is a laundry room and two bathrooms. We eat the majority of our meals together in the communal mess hall - the guests eat there too, but we do smaller meals here a lot.”

Emori nodded and continued to look around the building. The walls were a light brown wood panel, with a definite cowboy theme. Everywhere Emori looked there were pictures of horses or cows, and there was even a real rope coiled up and hanging on one wall. 

“Let me show you to your room,” Echo said, sounding a little bored. She walked towards the hallway off the main room, and Emori followed behind. As Echo walked down the hall she pointed out doors on the left side of the hallway, “First is the laundry room, and then these next two are bathrooms.” The laundry room was opened and Emori peered in, pleased to see a washer and dryer set as well as paces to hang clothing and a big utility sink. The bathrooms were mostly identical, a sink and toilet in the front part of the room with a shower and tub combo in the back. The bathrooms were also decorated in the theme of the old west, horseshoes and cowboy hats adorned the walls.

Emori took everything in with some interest and a lot of apprehension. This place looked great for sure, but she felt increasingly out of her element. 

Echo continued to walk down the hallway, passing closed bedroom doors before finally coming to the last door on the right side of the hallway. “This is yours,” Echo announced, pushing open the door so Emori could walk in. The room was much more bare than the rest of the house. The walls were painted a generic off white, and there were two bulletin boards on either wall, each above a twin sized bed. One side of the room was decidedly lived in, the bed was messy and covered in a massive tie dyed comforter and several colorful pillows. The bulletin board above the bed was plastered with photographs featuring a wide variety of people and also artistic pictures and several postcards.

The other side of the room was...completely bare. The bed was a plain mattress and box spring on a frame, but there was a set of sheets folded up on the end at least. The bulletin board above what was presumably her bed was empty save for some push pins. Each bed had an identical night stand at the head of the bed and a footlocker at the base. There was one window on the wall opposite the door and two of the smallest closets Emori had ever seen on either side of the door.

“Looks nice,” Emori said finally, not really sure what else there was to say. 

“It serves its purpose,” Echo shrugged. “Your roommate is out working right now, but you’ll meet her later. For now though, unpack and make your bed. I have to go do a few things, but head outside the bunkhouse in about thirty minutes, Gustus is planning to show you some of what you’ll be doing while you’re here.”

Emori nodded slowly, and walked into the room. Echo nodded at her and shut the door. Then Emori was alone for the first time since she had been arrested for shoplifting four days earlier.

Emori whistled quietly, and said under her breath, “You’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.”

Thirty minutes later (exactly, she had checked) Gustus rolled up to the bunkhouse in a vehicle that was not quite a golf cart but not quite a tractor. 

“Emori!” Gustus called out when he stopped the vehicle, “How are you settling in?”

Emori shrugged and took a few steps towards him, not really sure what to say. She didn’t have many belongings, and settling in wasn’t something she did, anywhere really, with how often she had moved around her whole life.

“Well come and have a seat,” Gustus instructed her, “I’m going to show you around the ranch a bit and then show you what your main responsibilities will be while you’re here. I hope you’ll make the most of your time here, I know this wasn’t necessarily your choice but I hope you’ll find you enjoy it with time.”

_ Not likely,  _ Emori thought to herself with a grimace. Instead of saying anything though she just looked ahead and shrugged.

Gustus didn’t seem bothered by her taciturn attitude and simply put the tractor-esque vehicle in drive and rumbled away, chattering as they went. He pointed out the men’s bunkhouse that Echo had mentioned, as well as a few other residences for staff. Then they passed the mess hall and kitchen, and then came up to a collection of barns and other outbuildings.

Gustus pulled up next to a massive wooden barn, and then turned off the engine. He turned to Emori expectantly, “This is the main barn, where we keep the riding horses if we need them in. You’ll primarily be here, where you’ll be helping care for the horses.”

Emori looked at him and felt her eyes widen in surprise and a little fear. “Horses?” she echoed. She had never even touched a horse before, much less done anything to care for one.

“Yes,” Gustus replied easily. If he noticed her unease he didn’t say anything, and continued his explanation, “Lincoln is the barn manager here on the ranch. He and his wife, Octavia, will help you get situated and trained. We have about two hundred head of horses on the property at any given time. Only a portion of them are broke to ride, and even less of them are available for guests to ride, so you can imagine how important they are to the ranch.”

Emori nodded, even though she really couldn’t. 

“We are going to be getting a shipment of young horses in soon, and everyone will be busy breaking them to saddle so you’ll be helping out in the barn. You’ll be trained so don’t worry about not knowing anything.” Gustus then looked her over, as if he had just noticed her clothing, “Do you have anything else to wear? Those boots won’t work around the horses, and those clothes will not last long around here.”

Emori frowned and looked down at her outfit. She had on her favorite plaid skirt, a black tank top, and her favorite well worn black leather jacket. Her trusty black knockoff Doc Martens completed the look. “What exactly am I supposed to wear?” Emori asked, and she hoped she didn’t sound rude. “I don’t have a ton of extra clothes. They only let me bring so much, and I didn’t have that much to begin with.”

Gustus dismissed her concerns with a wave, “Don’t worry about it, we have some extra stuff that you can use for now. Once you get your paycheck you can head into town and grab some of your own stuff.”

Emori looked at him with interest, “Paycheck? I get paid?”

“Of course you do,” Gustus said with surprise, “What, you thought you were working for free?”

Emori felt kind of silly, but admitted that yes that was exactly what she had thought. Work for free to keep out of prison seemed a bit of a fair trade to her. But the idea of a paycheck made this decision more enticing.

Gustus shook his head in disappointment, or maybe amusement. “You won’t be making any grand salary or anything, but yes, you’ll get paid every Friday. And your room and board and meals are included. Of course you’ll be able to supplement with your earnings.”

Emori nodded, thrilled with the idea of making a little money while she was here. That would go a long way once she got back to, well, where she had come from.

“Alright, let’s get out and I’ll introduce you to Lincoln,” Gustus said with a pleasant smile. “I know he and Octavia are happy to have an extra set of hands.

Emori followed Gustus into the barn and was taken aback at the smell (which was quite potent) but also at the sound of several horses making noises of greeting. She had never really heard horses make any noise other than neighing, and this...wasn’t that. It was a gentler, happier noise and she found herself smiling just a little.

A tall, muscular man in worn jeans and a T shirt appeared out of one of the horse stalls and grinned warmly at Emori and Gustus. He extended out a hand to Emori and she shook it only slightly hesitantly. If he noticed her hand, he didn’t react, and for that Emori felt herself relax ever so slightly. “Hi, I’m Lincoln, you must be Emori. Gustus has told us all about you. We’re happy to have you here.”

Emori smiled slightly, trying to make as good an impression as she could. She wasn’t exactly unhappy to be here, she just felt like a fish out of water. “Nice to meet you Lincoln. I hope you know I don’t have any horse experience, so I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Lincoln laughed genuinely, “It’s okay. Octavia didn’t know the first thing about horses when she started here. She was the ultimate girly girl, more interested in chasing butterflies than mucking stalls, but now you couldn’t keep her out of the barn.”

As if she had heard her name being mentioned, a door opened and a thin brunette walked up to join the conversation. “Don’t listen to a word he says,” she said nudging Lincoln playfully in his side, “it’s all lies. Hi, I’m Octavia!”

Octavia looked intimidating, like she could kick someone’s ass with her eyes closed and not think twice about it, but her face was warm and welcoming. “Lincoln is right, though,” Octavia said with a smile, “I do love the barn and these horses. And don’t worry about not knowing anything. We will help you get started and make sure you don’t get in over your head.”

“Thanks,” Emori said, and she meant it. Having such genuinely nice people to help her learn a job she knew absolutely nothing about, made her uneasiness settle down quite a bit.

“Of course,” Octavia grinned, “Now we need to get back to the horses, but we will see you first thing tomorrow. Bright and early.”

Emori nodded and followed Gustus out of the barn when he began to retreat. They got back into the vehicle, which Gustus called a gator, and began to drive around the ranch pointing out buildings and their uses. 

  
  


Two hours after her tour had started, Emori was making her bed when the door to her new room opened and a curly haired woman wandered in the room. 

“You must be the probation case,” the woman said, her eyes drifting over Emori, seemingly both with intrigue and apprehension. Neither of which she appreciated.

Emori felt herself falter for just a second before she squared off with the other woman, “That’s me. I decided cowboy boots would look better on me than a jumpsuit. Is that a problem?”

Emori had dealt with judgmental girls before, most of her life actually. Between her hand and her foster kid status, Emori had never been popular and she had learned early not to take anyone’s shit.

Her new roommate took a small step back, and then ducked her head slightly, admitting defeat. “Fair enough. Sorry, that was rude of me,” She gave a small wave, “My name is Luna.”

Emori returned the wave, “Emori. And it’s okay, You’re not the first rude person I’ve ever dealt with.”

Luna’s cheek flushed slightly pink, and she moved to sit on her bed, “I hope you’re settling in well. Dinner is going to be in twenty minutes in the mess. Are you planning on coming?”

“I need to eat, so yeah I guess I will be,” Emori answered matter of factly, as she continued making her bed.

“Okay, I guess I’ll see you there. Let me know if you need anything.”

Emori nodded but said nothing, all her attention on getting her space set up. 

Emori stumbled into the main barn entirely too early the next morning. Dinner had been chaotic, full of introductions to pretty much all of the staff on the ranch, and then it had taken her a long time to fall asleep, her mind racing as she thought about what the next three months would bring.

“Good morning!” Octavia called when she caught sight of Emori. She was leading a horse through the barn, and Emori took a few steps back, more than a little uncomfortable with the animal’s size and proximity.

Octavia caught Emori’s nervous look and grinned, “Don’t be scared of Helios, he’s a big baby. Truly, he wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s my personal horse, I’ve had him since he was a year old. This horse has saved my life, literally, once or twice.”

“He’s still really big,” Emori muttered, and stayed where she was.

“Yes, they are big animals,” Octavia agreed, “but once you get to know them, and understand them, they really are giant teddy bears.”

“Emphasis on the giant.”

Octavia laughed, louder this time, “Alright new girl, why don’t you follow me while I turn everyone out. Then you can meet some of the herd and get a little more comfortable before you get to work.”

Emori nodded, and followed behind Octavia and Helios, at a  _ very  _ respectable distance.

After all of the horses were turned out (thirty-six horses, she had counted) Emori followed Octavia back into the barn to learn the skills of her job.

The skills of her new job, Emori was horrified to learn, were shoveling shit, to put it eloquently. For the second time that morning, Octavia threw her head back and laughed at the expression on Emori’s face. Emori felt her mouth open and close several times as she attempted to formulate words. 

“What did you think you were going to be doing?” Octavia asked, clutching her sides in laughter.

Emori didn’t know  _ what  _ she had expected she was going to be doing, but shoveling horse crap was certainly not on the list.

“It’s hard work physically,” Octavia was saying, “but it’s pretty mindless for the most part, you’ll catch on quick.”

Emori wasn’t sure that she wanted to “catch on quick” when it came to having to deal with feces of any kind, but then her mind returned to jail and what that entailed and she took the pitchfork Octavia offered.

Eight hours later, Emori trudged back to the bunkhouse, more exhausted than she had ever remembered feeling. Her shoulders, back, and arms ached, there was hay in her hair, and she was covered in more mud (and other things too) that she didn’t want to think about.

The living room was more crowded than it had been so far when Emori walked in. Luna and Echo were sitting at the table, along with a few people Emori had met the night before. The dark haired girl in the leg brace, Raven, was the head of maintenance and she was sitting next to the blonde arts and craft leader who Emori remembered was named Clarke.

“Holy shit!” Luna exclaimed as Emori passed through the room, “They have you on stall duty I guess?”

Emori nodded in agreement, “You guessed right. I’m going to go take a shower, I don’t think I’ve ever been so dirty in my whole life.”

Echo laughed, “Welcome to ranch life, you’re just getting started with all the grossness there is to be had.”

Emori groaned slightly, then continued on to her room to get her shower supplies and a clean set of clothing. 

After the best shower of her entire life, Emori emerged from the bathroom and sat down at the table where her new bunkmates were engaged in a game of cards.

“Feel better?” Raven asked, looking up.

“Much. When are you all heading down for dinner?”

“In about fifteen minutes,” Clarke answered, “you want to walk down with us?”

Emori nodded, and prided herself on a successful first day.

Surprisingly, the first two weeks at the ranch went by much easier than Emori had imagined. Lincoln and Octavia were wonderful supervisors, and even better teachers. 

At the start of the third week, when she arrived at the barn there was an air of excitement, and in response to Emori’s question, Octavia’s answer was that the new shipment of young horses was arriving.

Emori had heard about the new horses for the last two weeks. As she understood, the young crop of horses were sent to the main barn and corrals when they were old enough to be taught how to accept a saddle and rider. There, the staff at the ranch would work through the spring and summer to ready the young horses to be working members of the herd by fall. Octavia had raved about the horses coming every day since Emori had started, claiming that it was her favorite time of year.

Emori breezed through stall cleaning that morning, as excited as everyone else to see the new horses, even though she knew she wouldn’t be doing any of the training herself. 

When Octavia called out, “Trailer’s here!” Emori couldn’t help but put her pitchfork away and head outside to watch the trailer unload.

The trailer drove slowly down the dirt road to the barn, and Emori was shocked at how massive it was. “Jeez it’s basically a tractor trailer,” she muttered herself, though Octavia turned to catch her eye. “Well it’s hauling fifteen horses, it’s gotta be huge.”

“Fifteen?” Emori said, her eyes widening in surprise. “I didn’t realize we were getting so many.”

“Yeah it’s a big group. But we have to replace horses that get older and retire or ones that have injuries and can’t be ridden, and so on. Plus, these guys won’t be really broke and solid for a good year.”

Emori nodded and watched transfixed as the trailer moved slowly into the barn yard and then backed itself up to a big round corral. Once the trailer stopped, Octavia and Lincoln went up and spoke to the driver before they began opening the doors of the tailer.

Within minutes, horses of all colors and sizes burst from the trailer and scattered all around the corral. Emori walked up to the fence slowly, and leaned her arms against the top rail, watching in awe as fifteen fuzzy wild looking adolescent horses darted around. Octavia came up and stood next to Emori once the gate had been secured. “What do you think?”

“I think they’re gorgeous,” Emori answered in a whisper, and they were absolutely incredible. She didn’t think she had ever seen such an amazing scene. “When do you start working with them?”

“Not for at least a day or two,” Octavia answered, “they’ve had their little baby brains rattled quite a bit today, and they need some time to rest and settle.”

The explanation made sense to Emori and she turned back to watch the horses, many of which had started to calm down slightly. 

“I want you to help,” Octavia said suddenly, and Emori turned to face her in shock.

“Help you with what?”

“With the horses,” Octavia said simply, “You’re good with them, and I think it will be good for you to help. Obviously you can only do so much but I think it will be a good idea.”

Two days after the herd of horses had arrived, Emori wandered out to the corral after she had finished cleaning stalls for the day to watch the proceedings. 

Each of the horses sported halters around their heads and lead ropes attached to the halters. The lead ropes drug on the ground as the horses milled around the corral. Lincoln and Octavia were both in the corral as well, working together on one of the young horses. 

Emori rested her arms on the top rung of the fence, her chin on her arms as she watched. 

“What do you think?” A voice interrupted her musings. 

Emori spun around and saw that Gustus had walked up next to her. She placed her hand over her heart, startled, and turned back to the horses, “I think it’s amazing. I wish I could do more with them, but Octavia said they’re still too unhandled.”

“She’s not wrong,” Gustus agreed, and placed a foot up on the bottom board of the fence. He looked into the corral as well, “It’s a good group of horses this time. I hope we get a handful of really nice ranch horses out of the bunch.”

Emori nodded, unsure of what else to say. 

“How are you doing so far?” Gustus spoke softly, as they continued to watch the proceedings. 

Emori turned and looked at him again, “Fine. I guess. It’s a lot of work, but I don’t mind it as much as I thought. I like the horses.”

Gustus nodded, “I’ve heard you are doing a good job. Lincoln and Octavia both speak very highly of you. They say you’re a fast learner and that you pay attention to details.”

Emori felt her warmth spreading through her chest at his words, it wasn’t often in her life that she had heard praise and she had never been told she was especially good at anything. She didn’t really know what to say, so she muttered thanks and turned back to watching the horses. She found she enjoyed having Gustus near her as they watched the horses mill around the corral, though the idea of unpacking the reason behind that thought was not something she felt ready to do.

Before Gustus could say anything there was a flurry of activity as one of the horses busted out of the group, stepping on his rope and then panicking as he felt the pressure on his head.

Emori watched horrified as the young horse continued to fight against the rope, only releasing her breath when the halter broke and the horse shook it off before taking off to the opposite corner of the corral.

“There’s always one,” Gustus said with a deep sigh and a shake of his head.

“What do you mean?” Emori still hadn’t taken her eyes off the horse who was now wandering around amidst the group.

“We usually get at least one who gives us a run for our money,” Gustus explained with a chuckle, “though Octavia will swear that those end up being the best ranch horses. The jury is still out for me.” He took another look at the troublemaker, shook his head, and headed back towards the main house. “Have a good rest of your day, Emori.”

Emori waved but kept her attention fixed in the corral.

After dinner, Emori declined the invitation to hang out with some of her bunkmates, instead heading for the corral. The horses were shuffling around quietly in the twilight, ears flicking toward Emori with interest. “Hey guys,” she called out softly, putting her hand through the bars hoping one of the horses would be brave enough to let themselves be petted.

She caught sight of the troublemaker from earlier and couldn’t help but smile at the horse’s mischievous expression. His dark fuzzy ears rotated back and forth as if he couldn’t decide whether or not Emori was a friend. “What are you doing there, mischief?” 

The young horse continued to stare at Emori, contemplating his next move. He stamped one of his feet, making the longer hair on his lower leg flutter with the movement, and then turned and walked back across the corral.

“Have a good night, buddy,” Emori called out, then felt marginally silly for talking to the horse as if he was going to answer her. One by one the other horses lost interest and wandered away from the fence, and Emori finally turned and headed back to the bunkhouse.

Over the next week, Emori continued to work in the barn and grow her horse skills. Octavia had allowed her to work with some of the more calm and well behaved horses, and Emori had been overjoyed at the opportunity. Every time she went out to the corral she sought out the white face of the troublemaker horse. After a few times, Octavia caught on, and asked what Emori was looking at.

Emori pointed to the feisty youngster, who was staring at both women as if daring them to come and mess with him. “The one that broke his halter the first day you were working with the horses. There’s just something about him.”

Octavia laughed quietly, “Yeah that one’s a handful. We still haven’t been able to get much done with him. But now that some of these others are progressing nicely they’ll move out and it’ll be easier to work with him when there are less horses in here.”

Handful or not, there was something about the opinionated little horse that kept him in Emori’s thoughts long after her shifts at the barn were over.

In what was becoming her new evening routine, Emori stopped to check on her favorite troublemaker. The feisty little horse had still not allowed anyone to saddle him, much less ride him, and Emori had heard snippets of conversation that indicated he didn’t have much of a future as a ranch horse if he didn’t get his act together soon.

“Hey trouble,” Emori whispered when she made her way to the corral fence and the horse in question raised his head to inspect her. She held her hand out, making sure he could see the piece of apple she had swiped from the mess, and grinned when he took a few steps toward her and took the treat. “That’s a good boy,” Emori whispered as he chewed and continued to watch her intently, “I don’t know why you have to be so suspicious. No one here is going to hurt you.” And Emori knew that was true, Lincoln and Octavia were exceedingly gentle when it came to the horses in their care, a practice that they had assured her was not necessarily a certainty at other ranches. 

Before she could spend too much time thinking about the stupidity of her decision, Emori walked to the gate of the corral, unlatched it and walked in the corral, closing the gate behind her. 

The horses snorted softly at her arrival, but they were accustomed to people and for the most part associated humans with positive experiences. Emori caught sight of the white face of her favorite troublemaker. “You need a name, little guy,” Emori whispered and walked up to stand close to the opinionated horse, “What do you think?”

The little horse stared back at her, as if he didn’t really care much whether or not he had a name.

And his devil may care attitude gave her an immediate idea. “I’m going to call you Maverick. It suits you, you silly little troublemaker.” If he had an opinion on his new name, he kept it to himself.

A few days later, Emori met Octavia and Lincoln at the corral and found a spot to stand so she could watch them working with the remaining horses. Most of the babies had been moved out to other parts of the ranch to continue their training, but a few still remained, Maverick among them.

“What happens if he doesn’t settle down and cooperate?” Emori asked nervously, chewing on her bottom lip and watching Maverick stare down Lincoln.

“Gustus will sell him,” Octavia said simply, though she tried to sound apologetic, “we just can’t keep a horse that isn’t going to hold his weight around here. This is a working ranch, and everyone has to contribute.”

“Where will he go?”

“Rodeo, most likely,” Octavia answered, fixing her gaze on the uncooperative horse, “He’d make a hell of a bucking bronco if he can’t settle down to ranch life. Some horses just can’t handle the constraints of being a ranch horse, they need something more unpredictable and wild.”

From the minute Octavia mentioned that Maverick could be sold, Emori couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of him not being on the ranch anymore. Every day after dinner and before it got too dark to see she made her way to the corral and tried to bribe his affection and cooperation with treats and scratches. Maverick had a new halter and lead rope on, and every day that Emori visited him she tried to get him to allow her to handle him. 

After a week of daily visits, Emori was thrilled to be able to rub the rope all over Maverick’s back and sides while he stood quietly, looking at her as if she was certifiably insane. “You’re such a good boy,” she crooned softly, rubbing the whorl of hair on his forehead, and wondering when she had decided that the smell of horse was one that she loved.

“Keep it up, Maverick,” Emori told him with absolute seriousness, “and you’ll show them what a great ranch horse you can be.”

“No stall cleaning today,” Octavia announced when Emori showed up in the barn a month after coming to the ranch.

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Emori was immediately terrified that someone had noticed her evening visits to Maverick.

“No, of course not,” Octavia said with a touch of exasperation, “Gustus said he wants you to learn how to ride. He wants you to meet him in the ring today to get a lesson instead of doing the stalls. Have fun!” Octavia wandered off down the barn aisle before Emori could formulate a response. 

Emori stood in the barn for several seconds before she set out in search of the ring, trying to cram down the feelings that were equal parts nervous and excited.

After a few minutes of searching, Emori found the ring that Octavia had been talking about. Gustus was holding two horses, as he stood in the middle of an open, fenced in riding arena. 

When Gustus noticed Emori’s presence he waved brightly and beckoned her over.

“What’s all this?” Emori asked, reaching up to stroke the nose of the horse closest to her.

“This is a riding lesson,” Gustus announced, “I talked to Octavia and we decided that you’ve come so far it’s about time you learned how to ride. Maybe we can even get you to where you can come on one of our cattle drives with us.’

Emori didn’t think she would be able to learn to ride a horse competently here in the arena, much less out on a cattle drive. Echo had told her enough stories.

“Come on over,” Gustus told her, in his gentle but firm voie. He patted the smaller of the two horses on the neck, “This is Cinnamon.” 

Emori shuffled over to the relaxed looking horse and held a hand out. “Hey there, Cinnamon,” Emori said in what she hoped was an extraordinarily gentle voice, “What do you say we don’t do anything crazy, okay?”

Gustus laughed, “Cinnamon is as gentle as they come. Trust me, I wouldn’t have picked a horse that you had to worry about.”

Emori did trust him, she realized with a start, and she tried to focus on the task at hand instead of her own convoluted feelings.

Gustus looked at her again, slightly oddly and then turned back to Cinnamon and explained all the tack and how Emori needed to adjust the straps in order to be safe. Then he showed her the basics of mounting, and before she knew it, Emori was sitting on a horse and she felt like her face might crack from the intensity of the grin. 

“Alright, you need to use your lower leg to help show the horse where to go, and you have to keep your heels down,” Gustus instructed, walking from Cinnamon’s head to her side where Emori’s foot rested in the stirrup. Emori stiffened slightly as she felt the pressure of Gustus’ hand on her calf. “Like this,” Gustus told her and moved her heel just enough that it was pointed toward the ground. 

Emori tried the movement on her own and was surprised she was able to keep the position with relative ease. She sat up straight and puffed her chest out proudly. 

“How do you feel?”

Emori didn’t have to think when she answered, “Incredible.”

At dinner that night, Emori regaled the group with all the details of her first riding lesson. Some of her bunkmates, like Clarke and Luna, had not ridden horses until they’d come to the ranch much like Emori, while others had been riding their whole lives. Echo had grown up on the back of a horse, she’d proudly told everyone, and felt more comfortable there than on the ground. 

In the midst of the conversation, surrounded by these strangers who were possibly turning into friends, Emori felt for the first time in her life, like she belonged somewhere. She smiled to herself as Raven ribbed Clarke about some inside joke, and Echo talked about the next cattle drive and who all was going to be going, and suddenly she wasn’t ready at all for the next two months to be over.

When Emori reached the corral that night, slipping in and feeding Maverick the apple he had begun to expect, she felt bold and competent. He had been doing so well, and she had grabbed an extra saddle and pad from the barn hoping she could convince him to accept the extra steps.

She looped his rope around the top rail of the corral and scratched his neck to reassure him. “Alright, buddy, show me how well you can do.” Emori whispered and reached for the saddle pad. She showed it to him, letting the young horse sniff and inspect the foreign object, before she rubbed the pad on his shoulder in an attempt to show him he had nothing to fear from it. Before she could lose her nerve, Emori swung the saddle pad up on his back and held her breath.

Maverick turned to look at her with a bored expression, as if to say  _ that’s it?  _ Summoning a little more courage, Emori decided to push her luck and placed the Western saddle she had found right on top of the pad. Maverick was equally unimpressed, and bumped her shoulder with his nose, looking for a treat.

Emori gasped excitedly and stepped forward to hug the young horse around his neck, “Good boy, Mav, I knew you could do it.” 

Then every bit of joy and pride she felt was wiped completely away when she heard a familiar voice slice through the evening air ask brusquely, “Emori! What are you doing?”

Maverick immediately felt the shift in her body language, and began nervously shuffling behind her. She tried to calm him down, and calm herself down, but her heart was thudding a painful staccato rhythm against her rib cage. She couldn’t believe she had been so stupid! This wasn’t her horse, her ranch, or her life. She was a thief, an unwanted child, a disposable throwaway and she had no business pretending she was something that she wasn’t. 

“I asked what are you doing?” The voice was quieter this time, but still very serious. 

Emori turned to face Gustus, her chest feeling both empty and so heavy at the same time. She was prepared to face anger and maybe even disappointment, but what she found instead was fear, which surprised her. “I was working with Maverick,” Emori explained quietly, her voice barely a whisper, “trying to help him have a better shot at being a ranch horse.”

“Maverick?” Gustus asked, confused, “I didn’t realize he had a name.”

“He doesn’t,” Emori answered quickly, “I mean, not officially, but I have been calling him that for a while now, it just seemed to suit him.”

Gustus nodded, as if her answer made perfect sense. 

“There’s nothing wrong with you giving him a name, Emori,” Gustus said with a wry smile, “I’m more worried about you coming out here alone, and potentially getting injured.”

“Though look at him, I can’t believe he’s actually saddled and not going ballistic.” Emori noticed that Lincoln had appeared behind Gustus and was speaking in amazement. Octavia was at his side, grinning slyly at Emori.

Emori shrugged, “We get along. I understand him.”

“And he obviously understands you,” Gustus agreed, “but your safety is still a concern. He’s a young, unpredictable animal who outweighs you times ten.”

“Maybe she can help us with him,” Octavia interrupted, “We will supervise and she will help him feel confident and safe.”

Gustus looked from Octavia to Emori, and then at Maverick, who was falling asleep, his nose resting on Emori’s shoulder.

Gustus threw his hands up in the air, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Obviously, Maverick has decided he is happy to work in partnership with you, and who am I to argue with such an opinionated little horse.”

Emori continued her work on the ranch every day, becoming more and more efficient at stall cleaning and horse care as the weeks wore on. She took lessons with Gustus most days, even though she knew his work on the ranch kept him exceedingly busy. Groups of tourists showed up every week, and while Emori didn’t have any direct contact with the guests, it was impossible to reside on the farm and not be aware of their importance.

Gustus seemed to enjoy teaching Emori to ride, and often brought his own horse, a gentle giant of a black gelding named Whiskey. They rode together side by side, as Gustus gave her tips and encouraged her. When she struggled with the positioning of her hands on the reins, Gustus jumped off Whiskey.

“You want to make sure the leather is never wrapped around your hand or fingers,” Gustus told her, as he took her hands in his and repositioned them so that she could navigate Cinnamon better.

Emori looked at him and nodded and ten tried to ignore the way her skin tingled just slightly at his touch.

Gustus pulled his hands away quickly and then swung back up into Whiskey’s saddle so they could continue their ride. 

As the weeks passed and life on the ranch became less foreign and more of something she looked forward to, Emori spent more time with Octavia and Lincoln helping train Maverick. She started to think about the fact that her time in this new life was dwindling to a close, and what it would mean to have to leave what had begun to feel like home. The first real home she had ever had, when she thought enough about it. She was lost in thought, dreading having to return to her previous existence and what that would even look like when Ocavia walked up and tapped her shoulder.

Emori blinked and shook her head, “Sorry what was that?”

“I said, Lincoln wants to try and get up on Maverick today. We wanted to see if you could come out and give us a hand.” 

Emori placed the pitchfork down and felt herself practically vibrate with excitement. “Of course I do. Right now? Are you ready now?”

Octavia laughed, “Not right this second, but shortly. If you want to meet us out there.”

Within ten minutes, Emori was in the middle of the corral, holding onto Maverick’s lead and telling him what a good boy he was.

“Okay, this is how we are going to do this,” Lincoln told her as he pulled on a pair of leather gloves, “I want you to stand at his head and keep him calm. I’m going to lay across the saddle on my stomach first. That way if he panics I can slide off easily. After that if he is still calm, I’ll swing my leg over.”

Emori nodded resolutely, intent on keeping the rambunctious little horse settled. She rubbed the white patch on his nose, where the skin was especially soft, “Sounds good.”

Lincoln stepped onto the wooden block situated next to Maverick, reached down to pat the horse on his neck, and then draped his body over the saddle in one fluid motion.

Emori held her breath, but then quickly focused on Maverick who seemed fairly bored with the proceedings. “What a good boy,” she whispered, inhaling his sweet horsey smell.

Lincoln got back on the block, a pleased look on his face. “Alright I’m going to get on him now. Keep him still until I tell you, and then we will try walking him around.”

“Sounds good.”

“Alright, let’s do it,” Lincoln said, and placed a foot in the stirrup. Maverick flicked his ears back and forth but didn’t move. Before too much time passed, Lincoln was swinging his body up and into the saddle, settling into the seat softly.

Maverick rolled his eyes back to get a better look at what was happening on his back, and Emori quickly worked to soothe the young horse. He dropped his head and while he chewed on the bit nervously a few times he didn’t move and more importantly he had graduated into a rideable horse. 

“Alright, Emori, you both did great,” Lincoln said, obvious relief in his voice, “go ahead and walk him around, slowly, and let’s see how he does.”

Emori’s face hurt from the grin that was plastered on her face, but she refocused her attention on Maverick and encouraged him to move forward. “You’ve got this buddy,” she whispered, “I am so proud of you.”

Maverick continued to improve as he was ridden nearly daily. Lincoln gushed over how intelligent the horse was, and how he really felt Maverick had potential, which caused Octavia and Emori to share little smiles.

Gustus approached the corral fence to stand next to Emori one day as she was watching Lincoln and Maverick. “They’re doing well,” he said with a nod towards the little horse who was learning how to respond to Lincoln’s cues.

Emori nodded, and couldn’t help the smile that flashed across her face. “Lincoln says he’s picking up everything really quick.”

“Emori, it’s impressive how much you did with this horse,” Gustus said then, suddenly so serious that Emori turned quickly to look at him. He held her gaze and continued speaking, “I’m serious. You aren’t the first person who has come out here to avoid jail time, there’s a reason this place is on the judge’s radar, but you are the first person who has come out here and found a place so decisively and competently.”

Emori felt the air rush out of her as she gasped softly, “I...I don’t know what to say.”

Gustus smiled softly, almost nervously, and said, “You don’t need to say anything, Emori, just promise me you’ll give some thought to what I’m about to say.” He took a breath, let it out and said, “I want to offer you a position here, permanently, on the ranch. I know you don’t have much waiting on you back at the halfway house, so I -”

Emori felt her face heat immediately as both embarrassment and anger flooded her system, and she spit out the first words that came to her hurt, angry brain, “No, thank you. I’m not a charity case for you to save.” She turned on her heel and retreated towards the bunkhouse before the hot angry tears could escape her eyes.

Emori’s last ten days seemed to drag and fly by all at the same time, and before she knew what had happened, she was standing in the corral with Maverick, tears blurring her vision as she rubbed his neck and told him how much she would miss him. Maverick seemed to understand that something major was happening, and was extra affectionate as he sniffed her hair and nuzzled her hands.

“I’m sorry I have to go, Mav,” Emori told the horse, “but it’s time. I can’t stay here anymore.”

“That’s not how I hear it.”

Emori spun around, hand on her chest, to see Octavia standing behind her hands raised in apology. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you didn’t hear me.”

Emori said nothing but turned back to Maverick.

Octavia didn’t give up and walked up next to Emori, reaching out to pat Maverick on his neck. “I heard you were offered a spot here, and that you turned it down.”

Emori shrugged, not wanting to have this discussion. Her mind was made up, she had already burned the bridge with Gustus who hadn’t looked at her much less spoken to her since their discussion.

“What’s wrong?” Octavia pressed, obviously not leaving without a response, “Why are you so hell bent on leaving. Aren’t you happy here?”

“Of course, I’m happy here,” Emori snapped, and then the fight left her, “but I don’t belong here.”

Emori tried to hold back the impending tears as the car pulled away from what was the closest thing to a home she had ever had. Octavia was still standing in front of the main house, holding Maverick who danced at the end of his rope, and staring ahead with a detached expression. Lincoln was there too, as well as Luna, Echo, Raven, and many of the other new friends she had made during her stay.

Octavia had begged her to stay a few different times, but Emori had refused to revisit the subject. She was going back, end of story. The ranch had been great, truly life changing in the best way, but Emori knew it was only temporary. She was too broken to stay here, she didn’t deserve this life or these friends. She was a thief with an imperfect hand who had literally been thrown away, as a newborn nonetheless. Her own mother hadn’t found her worthy of keeping, so she couldn’t see why anyone else would.

Emori was lost in her thoughts when the car pulled off the road, and she looked up to see that they were coming up to a gas station. “I need gas,” the officer said by way of explanation, and Emori settled back into her seat, alone with her dark thoughts.

As she listened to the officer going through the motions of filling the car up with gas, there was a sudden commotion and Emori sat up to get a closer look. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Gustus’ truck roaring into the parking lot and park haphazardly. He scrambled out of the driver’s seat and looked around as if trying to find something, before his eyes fixed on the car and he strode over, his long legs covering the ground easily.

When he got to the officer Emori watched as they conversed for a few seconds, though she couldn’t hear any of the words. And then Gustus was opening her car door and she took the hand he offered and stepped out to face him. 

Relief flickered across his face, and then Gustus looked nervous and he cleared his throat before he began to speak. “I had this whole big speech prepared in my head, Emori,” Gustus said, grasping the back of his neck and moving from one foot to the other, “but I got here and I can’t remember a thing except to ask you to stay. Emori, please stay. We want you to stay, you’ve become such an important part of the ranch.  _ I want you to stay. _ ” 

Emori swallowed hard and looked at the man in front of her, who had done so much for her, who had believed in her from literally the first moment she had met him. As much as she wanted to believe him, the part of her that had been abandoned and let down so many times screamed at her that this was a trap, that he didn’t mean any of it, that she wasn’t good enough for anything except a life spent on the outskirts. But she remembered how she had felt when she had ridden Cinnamon, and when Maverick had trusted her, and she wanted to believe him so bad that it was a tangible ache.

“If I can’t persuade you,” Gustus said with a small smile, “then maybe the troublemaker back at the ranch who’s already busted one halter and a few fence rails since you left can. It’s almost as if he knows you left for good. Except, I’m really hoping it isn’t for good.”

Emori looked at Gustus then, at the man who had given her so much and had been so patient. Her heart fluttered then for just a few beats, and she wondered what it would feel like to finally believe that she was worth it to someone. She had spent her whole life not being good enough, and what would it feel like if she let go and allow herself the grace she deserved.

“I’m not the best at saying how I feel,” Gustus had continued, looking even more nervous now, “but you’re special Emori. I know you came to the ranch under circumstances that maybe weren’t the best, and if you let yourself then I know you could see just how incredible you are. You are strong, and capable, and everyone but you seems to see it.”

He took a deep breath and looked at the ground before continuing, “I couldn’t say anything before, but your probation is over, and I just -”

Emori watched frozen in place as Gustus searched for the words.

“You’re special, Emori,” Gustus repeated, and continued on cautiously, “and you have come to mean so much to me, and...I’m going to kiss you now, okay?”

Emori nodded in stunned silence, and then closed her eyes as Gustus stepped closer and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 

When they had parted again, Emori looked into his gentle eyes and saw uneasiness as he waited for her response. She placed her hand on his forearm and squeezed, “I can’t promise I’m not going to freak out over little things from time to time, but yes. I’ll stay. I want to go home.”

Gustus choked out a relieved laugh, hugged her quickly and let her go again. “Thank goodness, Octavia would have been pissed if I came back without you.”

“Only Octavia?”

He kissed her forehead then, “Of course not. I can’t believe how good it feels to finally tell you how I feel.”

Emori understood the feeling, and felt peace wash over her for the first time in days. She was still overwhelmed and a little terrified about what the future held, but she tried to swallow the feelings down as much as possible. “I’m glad you did,” she told him honestly.

“Thank goodness,” Gustus said, with a small laugh, “maybe now that horse of yours will stop tearing the ranch apart.”

Emori thought of Maverick in all of his mischief and the idea of feeling his soft nose against her hand again made her heart swell with happiness. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” the officer said suddenly, and Emori flinched because she had forgotten he was there, “but do you still need a ride back?”

Emori looked from the driver and then back to Gustus, a smile tugging at her lips, “No. I’m staying here. Hopefully forever.”

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
